Dana 44 Carrier Bolt

[hitman72]

Hello everyone it has been to long.

 

So I have noticed a leak from the rear passenger side axle seal for some time now (after parking it would run down the inside of the tire). I ignored it till other day when I got home from work and there was a arc of oil droplets on the finder well. 

 

Today I have been inside other axles before so I had some kind of idea as to what I was looking for and what to do. When i took off the diff cover and started to remove the retainer bolt for the pin that holds the spider gears I encountered my first problem. I don't know what to use to get it out...... I was expecting a 1/4 inch 12 sided bolt but this is what i got. 
 

 

Is this some strange new screw i have not seen or is this the PO trying to do the same thing I am just failed horribly at it?

 

Thanks

[hitman72]

Too*

[Stacks]

It appears to be a roll pin which is quite common as a retainer for that.  If you have roll pin punches or a suitable sized drift punch, that will work nicely to drive it out.

 

Larry

[hitman72]

Thank you that makes me feel better. My thought was that he broke it and them tried to drill it out or something. roll pin did not cross my mind haha.

 

In this application just punch it in towards the ring gear till it clears?  

[HOrnbrod]

Did you check to see if the D44 axle vent fittings and hose are clear first? I had what I thought was a leaky seal on the drivers side coming from the e-brake adjuster hole and running down the inside of the tire (Explorer disk rear brakes). Replaced the axle seal twice and the leak eventually came back both times. Finally checked the axle vent; the axle plastic fitting that the vent hose connected to was clogged shut. Drilled it out, got it clear and no more leaky.

[Stacks]

I had the whole carrier out and the ring geat off when I had mine apart to put the locker in and new bearings in.  I'm not sure if you can get the roll pin out with the ring geat still on.  Check what Hornbrod suggests too before digging in the innards any more!! 

[FrankTheDog]

If its a Rear Dana 44 why do you need to pull the spider gears first?

Just pull the shaft out and the spiders will then be loose.

Or are you doing other work in the carrier?

[ComancheKid45]

Yeah, there are no C-Clips inside the D44 carrier. The Shafts can be removed without even opening up the Housing ;)

[hitman72]

I am all confused now. On a dana 44 rear axle what holds the shafts in?

 

I was led to believe that you removed the retainer bolt to remove the pin holding 2 of the spider gears, this allows you to push in the shaft to remove the clip and then pull the shaft out. Is this not the case for a dana 44?

[hitman72]

answered my own question. Forgot that last time I watched it done was a dana 35 :doh: . Figured out that on the 44 there is the retainer plate. Thanks guys.

[hitman72]

Hornbrod, do you happen to have a picture of what you drilled out for the vent? Thank you.

[airspeed]

I had the same problem with my vent.  When it gets plugged it will leak oil.  There are actually two pieces, the top part slides up and down and locks the lower portion (tabs on the bottom) into the axle tube.  You have to pull the top part up and then carefully pry the bottom out.

[HOrnbrod]

It can either look like the pic airspeed posted, or it might be threaded in the left axle tube like the below. There should be a hose attached going up into the frame to another plastic hose adapter fitting with a rain cap. Mine was like airspeed's picture with a vent hose on it up to the frame. The plastic fitting on the axle was clogged up on mine.

 

Image Not Found

[hitman72]

I was just looking at mine and it looks like on mine, it is on the driver side with the soft break line coming in from the back (where is looks like your is from the front) and the hose coming off the top is vent?

 

Thank you.

[HOrnbrod]

I was just looking at mine and it looks like on mine, it is on the driver side with the soft break line coming in from the back (where is looks like your is from the front) and the hose coming off the top is vent?

 

Thank you.

 

Yes. That's not mine, pics courtesy of mjeff87.

[hitman72]

this is what i found.

 

 

 

 

The vent hose itself was attached to bed frame but was not connected to the axle. Is this a PO think or am not getting the idea haha.  :hmm: 

[hitman72]

And yes once the leaks are stopped i will be cleaning the axle thoroughly lol.

[jimoshel]

:dunno: ?

Explanation. I made a post which was wrong. Tried to delete it. It would not delete. Had to put something here.

[HOrnbrod]

All you have done is remove the bolt that fastens the brake line junction block to the axle tube. That is not a vent. You must have the plastic hose adapter somewhere on the axle tube and it's snapped off. Probably clogged with crud too from the looks of that axle.

[hitman72]

ok I was just checking as from your pic earlier of the "4 way" block that that had the vent on the top. I wiil continue the search then, haha. thanks.

[hitman72]

found that little plastic piece. well i should say i found two lol. Half had broken off in the end of the breather hose and the other was half was so covered over with dirt that i could not find it. hope tomorrow to have a new one and be on the road. thanks.